It's really hard to choose only one! :cry:

I will go for Marin then. I hope she will stay healthy and become the next queen.

:pooh: :pbow:

I have to add that I have really come to admire Sasha since her competitive days, those extensions, flexibility and spirals are just beautiful. I've also feel the same for Mao, mad respect and awe over that Sochi long program, that fire, determination and personal redemption. :bow: I was rooting for her during Worlds after that. I like Wakaba in the new crop of ladies, she's adorable! I *heart* her friendship with Evgenia.

And until her r******nt in 2006, I loved Irina Slutskaya the most.

 

Me too! I still remember watching the Torino OG and there was this huge 'battle' between her and Sasha Cohen. I remember watching the SP performance with English commentary (don't know who the people are though) saying that she's not going to try to be artistic. She might not have the delicacy from Cohen, but she had a lot of charisma and I like 'powerful' performances quite a lot.

 

(Arakawa was quite a pleasant surprise in those games btw)

 

Irina was my favourite lady skater since I started to watch figure skating - actually, she got me into figure skating. During that time I was a kid and we only had British Eurosport at home, so I didn't understand a single word of the Eurosport uncles. There were no explanations on technique, there were no internet which could've helped me to understand things more. I had to rely solely on the skater's performances. So there was Michelle who was elegant but her jumps seemed tiny and all her music choices seemed the same for me. And there was Irina with two very well choreographed, exciting and charismatic programs in the 1997/1998 season (Piano Waltz for her SP, Russian Folk Music for the FS), plus she had this incredible command on the ice, with huge jumps. As a kid she was the one who attracted my interest and not Michelle, or other skaters.

I sometimes wish she would be the first Russian lady who won the Olympic gold medal; she could have won in SLC or in Torino. Alone for her achievements she would have deserved it, but I know that Olympics is not about past results. But some things just aren't meant to be, so to say, and I not only think of Irina here, but Michelle as well. But Irina won two medals at the Olympics, seven Europeans title, two Worlds golds, which makes her one of the most (if not the most) successful Russian ladies ever, which is a brilliant achievement anyway.

Irina was my favourite lady skater since I started to watch figure skating - actually, she got me into figure skating. During that time I was a kid and we only had British Eurosport at home, so I didn't understand a single word of the Eurosport uncles. There were no explanations on technique, there were no internet which could've helped me to understand things more. I had to rely solely on the skater's performances. So there was Michelle who was elegant but her jumps seemed tiny and all her music choices seemed the same for me. And there was Irina with two very well choreographed, exciting and charismatic programs in the 1997/1998 season (Piano Waltz for her SP, Russian Folk Music for the FS), plus she had this incredible command on the ice, with huge jumps. As a kid she was the one who attracted my interest and not Michelle, or other skaters.

I sometimes wish she would be the first Russian lady who won the Olympic gold medal; she could have won in SLC or in Torino. Alone for her achievements she would have deserved it, but I know that Olympics is not about past results. But some things just aren't meant to be, so to say, and I not only think of Irina here, but Michelle as well. But Irina won two medals at the Olympics, seven Europeans title, two Worlds golds, which makes her one of the most (if not the most) successful Russian ladies ever, which is a brilliant achievement anyway.

 

I started watching FS because I have one cousin who does roller skating and he would always talk about skaters. He was a huge fan of Cohen and we watched the Torino Games on TV together (I was too young to appreciate FS before that and I had no internet or any sports channel as well on TV). I remember no matter how much he gushed at Cohen's performance, Slutskaya caught my heart from the moment she jumped. Maybe because I'm a rather tomboy person, I loved the fact that she wasn't taking the path of the 'cute, delicate' skater, but one that would wear unitards and one that did not have to look super skinny.

Talking about Russian skaters, I also remember Elena Sokolova, although she did not leave a deep impression like Slutskaya.

I started watching FS because I have one cousin who does roller skating and he would always talk about skaters. He was a huge fan of Cohen and we watched the Torino Games on TV together (I was too young to appreciate FS before that and I had no internet or any sports channel as well on TV). I remember no matter how much he gushed at Cohen's performance, Slutskaya caught my heart from the moment she jumped. Maybe because I'm a rather tomboy person, I loved the fact that she wasn't taking the path of the 'cute, delicate' skater, but one that would wear unitards and one that did not have to look super skinny.

Talking about Russian skaters, I also remember Elena Sokolova, although she did not leave a deep impression like Slutskaya.

 

Interesting, I was also a rather boyish girl too and I didn't care about artistry, costumes or all the others things which females love in this sport. But it has completely changed some time before Vancouver and now I do enjoy the balance between technique and artistry.

Sokolva was lovely but I loved Butyrskaya more. :)

Interesting, I was also a rather boyish girl too and I didn't care about artistry, costumes or all the others things which females love in this sport. But it has completely changed some time before Vancouver and now I do enjoy the balance between technique and artistry.

Sokolva was lovely but I loved Butyrskaya more. :)

 

True. It's not all about jumps anymore... haha! But I kind of miss the spirals women used to do. They would at least include two or more variations in their programs for a good portion of the rink and now it's maybe only one or two and not covering much ice.

I don't know much about Butyrskaya, but nothing a little research won't help :pbow:

Interesting, I was also a rather boyish girl too and I didn't care about artistry, costumes or all the others things which females love in this sport. But it has completely changed some time before Vancouver and now I do enjoy the balance between technique and artistry.

Sokolva was lovely but I loved Butyrskaya more. :)

 

True. It's not all about jumps anymore... haha! But I kind of miss the spirals women used to do. They would at least include two or more variations in their programs for a good portion of the rink and now it's maybe only one or two and not covering much ice.

I don't know much about Butyrskaya, but nothing a little research won't help :pbow:

 

Maria is the 1999 World Champion and a three-time European Champion. She was a bit of Anna Pogorilaya of her time, because she didn't get much support from the Russian fed in the mid-1990's. That's why I respect her that she continued skating and became one of the most successful Russian skaters of the decade. She had a really nice skating style, I enjoyed watching her a lot.

QUEEN YUNA will always be my fav, with MAO a close 2nd!

Yuna and Mao made me watch skating and becoming a huge fan!

 

I find nowadays ladies a bit boring, it is not that I don't like their skating but Yuna and Mao era was so exciting.

 

But Marin Honda is probably my next favorit, she slowly creeps into my heart!

myjunkisyuzuruhanyu said:

QUEEN YUNA will always be my fav, with MAO a close 2nd!

Yuna and Mao made me watch skating and becoming a huge fan!

 

I find nowadays ladies a bit boring, it is not that I don't like their skating but Yuna and Mao era was so exciting.

 

But Marin Honda is probably my next favorit, she slowly creeps into my heart!

I see a lot of star power in Marin Honda, just like there was in Yuna and Mao. If she can transition to seniors well, she will be a force to be reckoned with! Although the media pushes her a lot, she's so likeable and great to watch. I know she has a condition with her feet, but hopefully she can continue improving her jumps.

Carolina and Mao. Both for their grace and master blade work :crybaby:

 

But I'm more emotionally invested in Carol :cry:

For me it's Yuna Kim, hands down. :love:

She has (had) the most complete package imo and I like to rewatch her programs regurarly to this day. :grin:

Forever The Queen. :bow: :love:

Though, I recently started loving & supporting Mai Mihara. Her skating is just so light and visually pleasing even if she didn't fully develop artistically yet.

For me it's Yuna Kim, hands down. :love:

She has (had) the most complete package imo and I like to rewatch her programs regurarly to this day. :grin:

Forever The Queen. :bow: :love:

Though, I recently started loving & supporting Mai Mihara. Her skating is just so light and visually pleasing even if she didn't fully develop artistically yet.

 

Hi adiosnonino, lovely name :) Here, a welcome gif for you: :love:

I had to chose Yuna because:

1-she was the first who made me search for FS programs on youtube

2-her folder on my pc is the biggest one after Yuzuru's (but Yuzuru's is just huge :smile:)

3-thanks to her I decided to check how the Sochi OGMs were faring these days, and this is how I discovered Yuzuru :yes:

Her jumps! Her flow! Her fire! Her fire in her El Tango De Roxanne is what has sold me, it was love at first sight :love:

The first lady I liked was Irina Slutskaya. I watched Turin 2006 as a total newbie in FS and she was the one who made the deepest impression among the women: the russian lady in red (also Arakawa's layback InaBauer). I also like Carolina, how soft she is in her gliding and her upper body movements too.

 

I still have to find that kind of special sparkle with the new generation. Hopefully I will be able to watch the ladies without biting my nails. :acceptable:

I really can't choose =( I like Yuna, Mao and Caro - they all are great and different (btw I'm so glad Caro is back! Her EX Clair de lune is something!). And I still hope we'll see new Yulia when she is fully recovered... her skating changed for better. Just may she be healthy.

Ohh, It's a though question .. I chose Mao in the end, but I love Yuna too!!! Both of them are :love: I'm lucky to say I have seen Mao skate live, and although she wasn't at her best, to watch her skate was magical :crybaby: Of the currently competing bunch I really like Ashley and Satoko! I hope she's getting better now :s_smile